If you missed Part 1 of this journey, find that here!
It's been a hot minute for me to get this post out to you all, but I recently had my follow up appointment with my LLNP regarding my new Bartonella co-infection diagnosis. Here’s the latest for you who are following along with me in this journey. I’ll talk about symptoms, why it was easy to miss this diagnosis earlier on, and a bit about my current treatment plan.
Bartonella, also known as Cat Scratch Disease, has SO MANY possible symptoms. Here’s just one chart of some that can come with this tick borne illness.
I don’t know exactly how long I’ve had this co-infection since I’ve previously always tested negative for it and haven’t had any recent tick bites (for YEARS). Looking back, early in Lyme treatment I did have some burning in the bottoms of my feet/neuropathy, spider veins, mental health/emotional health challenges, cold extremities, GI tract issues, sensitivities to stimulation, and more possible symptoms off of the above chart. So I would guess that I’ve actually had Bart as long as I’ve had Lyme. BUT, through a reputable lab (and my LLNP) I tested negative for Bartonella every time (a couple times throughout the years). And with my Lyme and other co-infection treatments, my symptoms DID all improve. So I wasn’t expecting to come back positive for Bart here almost 10yrs later. It was easy to attribute those symptoms to other tick borne illnesses I DID test positive for, notice my positive response to treatment, and keep moving forward without continuing to spend money on more lab work to “dig” further (when symptoms didn’t warrant it).
What brought me here was that I was kind of “stalled’ in my Lyme healing, despite seeming to respond well to treatment. In reviewing EVERYTHING in my chart, my LLNP felt compelled to try ONE more Bart test, this time through one of THE most sensitive labs for Bart - Galaxy Diagnostics Labs. They don’t take insurance, so my test ran around $260 for a Bartonellosis IgG serology panel.
So what is my individual plan then? Well I’m actually excited to not be adding antibiotics to the mix! At least not right now. We’re working with herbals that I’m currently on and adding in some new goodies. It will be a “step-by-step” treatment plan over the next few months.
I’ve been on A-Bart tincture since my labs for Bart were drawn this winter. (With a brief hiatus when I forgot to take it for a few weeks. *facepalm*) I’m working up to 20 drops of A-Bart, but it is causing some herxing, so I’m right around 12 drops 2x/day and staying there for a bit to let my body adjust and kill some Bart. I will be increasing my Cat’s Claw and Andrographis dosing slightly in the meantime. And then in a couple weeks adding in Japanese Knotweed. Once I’m up to my LLNP’s goal dose there, I’ll work on increasing the A-Bart again to that goal dose. And finally, this spring, I’ll add in Crypto-Plus tincture from Researched Nutritionals.
Whew! It sounds intense, but I’m honestly excited to be kicking this thing (and ALSO my Lyme finally!) to the curb! It’s likely that Bartonella has been interfering with my ability to fully heal my Lyme, so I’m ready to give this leg of my journey maximum fighting effort!
Of course I’ll keep bringing you along with me! Stay tuned for updates as I have them, and send me all the positive healing prayers and vibes! I’ll be returning the favor for YOU!
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